THE PHOTOGRAPH WHO WAITED FOR THE MURAL TO BE FINISHED

This is not the story about a mural, even though it is. This is a story about a photographer who once again hit the road with us, despite the agreed shootings. This is a story about a photographer who decided to stay a day longer in Banja Luka and wait for the mural to be finished. This is a story about Vlada. Vlada who brought the next puzzle. If you do not know him, or have not seen him before, he is a guy who is behind each and every photograph of ours. On one hand, Vlada would put himself in an impossible position for a good frame, on the other… Well, he finds a lot of things difficult. So, the story about the following stop of the tour begins – OPENS on the Road: Murals.

“It was difficult. The sun was shining, we were there for 12 hours every day, and 16 hours the last day. We were burnt, even though we were in the shade. But despite that, it was very interesting”, Vlada says.

We have been through the same procedure several times – we pack the colours, symbols, colourfulness, volunteers, artists, music and a good map and we hit the road. Zagreb, Sarajevo, Bol… They still have the footstep of Novi Sad at some of the walls, and what is always pricelessly mutual in every following city is the reaction of passers-by and neighbours.

“The reactions of the passers-by who watched what was going on were very interesting, especially of the elderly ones who still do not completely understand what is going on, so that was very sweet. There were the tenants of the buildings on which the mural was being painted who had more than positive reactions, which I must admit always surprises me. A lot of people came by and said great, you have our support for everything young people initiate”, our photographer says.

The second constant of each city is the artist who gathers the puzzles – Petar Petrović Piros. He is a young artist who has easily found his way in the OPENS’ colourfulness.

“The two of us hit along immediately. I like his work and aesthetics and he likes mine and that is why it is all so interesting. As always on the road with OPENS, we really were an excursion – as Piros said. I like the concept of the whole project and especially the fact that something does remain after. A mark. Even after the year of the capital”, Vlada concluded.

Vlada and the artistic part of the crew stayed in Banja Luka a day longer. Enough for the mural to be finished for the following generations, and long enough for Vlada’s objective to be the final channel by which we tell this story. The story without the full stop this time, because the road goes on. The next stop is Maribor.